28: The Shadow of Technology with Dr. Anders Beier, LPC

My guest on the podcast this week features Dr. Anders Beier, who is a depth-oriented (Jungian) psychotherapist and executive coach in private practice near Aspen, Colorado. Working with couples and individuals, he has extensive experience in treating depression, anxiety, and serious life changes, including grief/loss, divorce, and midlife crisis. He has ten years of clinical experience in various areas of mental health counseling and has done years of research in the emerging area of the psychological influences of technology. Also, Dr. Beier is the co-founder and COO of the London-based non-profit, The Centre for Technology Awareness. The center’s mission is to raise awareness of the complex influences of technology as well as encouraging safe, responsible, and ethical uses of technology.

In addition, he has years of experience assisting and coaching high-level executives develop, balance and pivot their complex lives. Dr. Beier holds an MA in counseling from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA and a Ph.D. in Jungian Studies from Saybrook University in San Francisco. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Colorado.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How Dr. Beier was drawn into his work with technology and why its meaningful to him

People blocking out the things they don’t want to look at

The role of and challenges to Self in an online world

Narcissism, particularly on social media

Neurotic suffering and what that can look like

How overuse of Facebook can lead to depression and anxiety

The disruptive effects technology has on our human interactions

Becoming distant from the natural world

What are persona and individuation?

The online staging of one’s self

The adolescent parade in the media

Exclusion of other parts of life for an online presence

Consequences of binge watching and excessive gaming

The emphasis on the external and how it’s a hindrance to internal work